The minute I put up that peg board in my Siberian craft space,
I knew that I had to give my tools a little personality too.
Unfortunately, I didn't have any cute duct tape.
I decided to do something else instead.

Boring tools...

White Fusion paint.

Tissue paper and Mod Podge

And there ya go:Flower Power Tools

Go ahead and laugh.
That's what the husband did.

He kept laughing even after I explained the logic behind it. (There is some logic, you know.) Not only are they fun and festive, but they will be much easier to locate when they go off on scissor and tool adventures and leave their assigned post.

For some reason, my scissors and tools are prone to meandering.

This little project will keep me
from invading the sanctity of his tool box
on such a regular basis.
That's exactly what I told him.

The husband isn't so sure about that.
He did assure me, however, that it will definitely keep him from invading mine.

*****
In case you're interested:I used two coats of Fusion paint and then cut out the individual flowers. I'm giving them another protective coating of Mod Podge, and I might give them a coat of clear varnish as well. I haven't decided yet.

Monday, July 30, 2012

There's actually a method to the wackadoo madness and crazy colors. You see, I'm a firm believer that bright colors stimulate creativity.

And I caught a little contagious creativity not long ago in blog land.

Many of you have probably seen how Ange@The Blooming Hydrangea turned an unused closet in her home into an office space. If you haven't seen it, click HERE. She dubbed it The Cloffice.

Well, here's my own version of a re-purposed space.

I'm calling mine The Crathroom.

Part bathroom.

Part craft space.

You see, I don't have a single space around this joint to organize craft and painting supplies. Oh, I had them stored in an orderly fashion, but to a completely right brained person, storing and organizing are two very different animals.

If I have to pull things out of a bin that's stashed on a shelf in a garage or other such space, it's stored. If it is openly displayed and at my fingertips, it's organized. And if it's organized in a climate controlled environment, it's more likely to stay organized.

My craft and painting supplies were stored, but they were not organized. They were hidden here and there like munchkins. Every time I wanted to do a project, it was come out come out wherever you are.

Seeing all the great craft spaces in blog land whet my appetite for a fingertip space. Unfortunately, I didn't have a room to sacrifice for the cause. (And don't even bother suggesting The Practical One's room. It already has a job; it's a shrine.)

This is the space I chose.

It's small, but doable. There's a sink for washing out brushes and enough counter space to work on small projects.

Or even small pieces of furniture.
See?

I wanted it to function as a craft space, but not lose it's ability to morph back into bathroom if needed. Just because we haven't used that shower in 15 years doesn't mean we never will.

So...

Shoe bags were hung over a tension rod for spray paints and other supplies. Yes, I know that they don't match. This project had to be done without spending a dime, remember. Therefore, I used what I had, and what I had were two more members of the graduating class of 2011.

Three members actually. That little white shelf between them came from her college room too. Please picture it all grown up and twice its size. I'm planning to get a second one to stack on top of it next month. I have a few more things in the garage still waiting for a home.

The rest of it is just collected junque from around the home place and the power of paint. That's because I hoard my remnants and buy random, obscure things at the ReStore.

I had bought that peg board at the Restore in the spring, and we happened to have just enough of that molding to frame it. I painted it with more of that green paint.

Yes, I know I haven't put anything on it yet.

I haven't finished organizing the stuff in the cabinets and drawers yet either,

but I'm showing the room anyway.

This post is long enough so I'll save something

for another day.

That's where Siberia is this morning. Maybe not magazine material,

but considering where we started...

Plus the fact that I did it all without spending a dime,

I'd say it's close enough to perfect for me.

By the way, did anyone notice where I'm storing the extra noodles?

*****

I'll be sharing at Inspiration Friday
'cause I know you're all inspired to go create a
Crathroom now, right?
Right?
Yeah, that's what I was afraid of.

Sunday, July 29, 2012

You see, I've been giving a lot of thought to this little problem of mine and the actions which got me into trouble to begin with. Frankly, it doesn't make a lot of sense, does it? If you've read here for any length of time, you might know that I'm a notorious cheapskate and tightwad.

I hoard and reuse. I shop the thrift stores and The Dollar Tree. I'm all about the DIY. What's more, I'm willing to patiently wait until we have the cold cash to complete a project. We're just not credit card or buy-it-on-time people. Why, you might even say that I... ahem... pride myself on my thriftiness.

By all rights, I should never have whittled down a checking account due to reckless spending.

And yet, I did.

While my recklessness didn't put me into debt, it did put a dent in the pocket book and threatened to rain on my creative parade. It also made me give some thought to the concept of indebtedness.

A few years ago, I was teaching that familiar passage we like to call The Lord's Prayer, and we got to one of those sticky parts.

And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.

(Matthew 5:12)

That's the way it's written in Matthew anyway. He calls it a debt, using a Greek word which means exactly that: A debt; that which is owed; from the idea of accruing.

Or as I like to say, what we've racked up.

If you read the parallel passage in Luke 11:14, however, he uses a different word. He uses a word that we Baptists like to translate trespass. That's a fancy way of saying sin. Not a big old notorious sin, mind you. It means to miss the mark; to wander from the path.

And forgive us our trespasses...

(There's the million dollar answer for all those who wonder at the denominational difference in Lord's Prayer. Which version is correct? Well, both, but I digress...)

It's simple, really. A trespass is a debt.

Every time we miss that mark and wander from that path, we are indebted to an almighty God who paid the price for that little misstep of ours with the life of his one and only son. Whether we take a little side trip to Gossip Town or a flying leap down the road to Perdition, the cost was the same.

When put in that perspective, those little debts aren't so little are they?

So what does this all have to do with No Buy July?

Well as I said, I pride myself on my thriftiness. I can easily resist the thousand dollar purchase. I can almost as easily resist the hundred dollar one. The fifty dollar one is a bit harder, but I regularly walk away.

It was the one dollar purchases that did me in.

And such is the way with the walk of faith.

You see, there's no such thing as sin thrift. We can't budget sins or save for the big ones. With sin, it's all or nothing. We can't pride ourselves in resisting the million dollar ones while frittering away His grace one dollar sin at a time.

Or maybe, I should put it this way: We don't need to bring a machine gun to a midnight movie to cost the life of Jesus, the one and only. All it takes is one haughty look...

One careless word...One jealous heart...

Don't you think that maybe, just maybe, it's time we started sweating the small stuff? Yeah, I think so too.

Friday, July 27, 2012

This little makeover wouldn't be bloggable at all were it not for the fact that I promised to show it, and that it was done without spending a single dime.

Not a single dime, people.

Do you know how hard that is?

Keep that in mind before I open the door.

Siberia before

And Siberia as of this morning.

Still a work in progress.

If I felt like renaming this room (and I don't), I might choose The Graduate. That's because nearly everything used in this room is a cast off from the dorm days of The Practical One.

This shower curtain graduated in 2011.

This part was kind of serendipitous because I had already decoupaged those cabinet pulls when I remembered that curtain. I had been planning to fashion something together with fabric remnants, but decided to use that one instead.

Nothing like letting a hoarded napkin decide an entire room design...

I like it because not only is it free but it lets me introduce a dozen fun colors into the room. I plan to introduce them all. I promise that there actually is a method to all this wackadoo madness...

For shower rings, I just sprayed those old plastic blue ones with white Fusion and then gave them a coat of the same trusty lime as the cabinet pulls.

Little wooden buttons were painted and glued to the hooks

to dress it up a little.

The extra cabinet is from the same graduating class as the shower curtain. It was white laminate, but I think it looks better painted heirloom white to blend better with the cabinets. I used Kilz on it first. I'm not positive that's necessary since my HW has primer in it, but I would rather be safe than sorry when painting cheap laminate.

More green for the knobs.

The ugly brass light fixture got a facelift too.

I had originally intended to go white with it. (By the way, here's my tip of the day: Hoard burned out light bulbs to use when painting a light fixture.) But really, I want to replace that fixture completely. That being the case, I didn't think it would hurt for it to go green as well.

Oh no, she didn't...

Oh yes, I did.

Wackadoo.

It's just a cheap brass fixture, people.

Now, I'm sure you noticed that this room is stark and boring and needs some accessories to finish it.Let me explain...

It's not going to get any.

You see, the room is not only called Siberia because it's cold in there; it's called Siberia because it's extremely remote. Basically, it's the Wonka Land of the home place. Nobody ever goes in, and nobody ever comes out. It just sits there, hidden from view, a vast wasteland.

Emphasis on the waste part.

That's why I decided to change its function and give it a job description. Don't you think giving a space a job description just makes it perform better?

Yeah, I think so too.

Unfortunately, this post has already gotten too long so the fulllifestyle lift will have to be a post for another day. Hopefully by Monday.

Here's a little clue....

I need the Man of the Place to help me put up some final things before I'm finished, and he's still out of town. Poor guy comes home to a honey do list every weekend. Good thing I give myself that Friday facial so he comes home to sugar lips as well.And that's the way it is. Friday, July 27, 2012...

Monday, July 23, 2012

Just a little update on my progress in the cold and remote bathroom that I like to call Siberia. I'm nearly finished with it, at least as much as I can do without spending any money in this No Buy July.

It has been fun.

Actually, No Buy July has been fun.

Really...

The fact that I had to rely on what I have on hand has been good for the brain.

Joining this zero cost makeover already in progress...

Cabinets before

Stained "oak-ish" cabinets were painted Heirloom White.

I might have picked a more adventurous color,but I didn't happen to have an adventurous color around here. I did happen to have about a quart of Heirloom White and the matching spray paint for a smooth finish.

So Heirloom White it is.

I used the existing handles since that's the only style I have on hand. (Actually, I have a whole basket full of this style. They were on every cabinet in the place and have been hoarded as I replaced them room by room.

They come apart which makes this project so easy.

I used this stuff.

(Hope that Mod Podge lasts until August...)

I sprayed all parts with some Universal satin to give them some stick 'em. (Would have just used spray primer, but I'm out of it right now. )

Metal parts got a coat of this limey green from a kitchen project.

Ceramic inserts got a little Mod Podge

Polka Dots for the drawers

Stripes for the doors.

And Ta Da.

Free funky handles.

Yes, they are a little wackadoo,
but wackadoo is the look I'm going for
so I'm giving this the thumb's up.

I'll be finished with Siberia this week so I'll show the rest of the project then.
In the meantime, enjoy the other projects onMetamorphosis Monday

*****
By the way,
can I just take this moment to shout out the auction
at My Place To Yours?
It's for a very worthy cause.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

It's been a few weeks since we played with dishes around here. Frankly, we've been a little short on both time and inspiration. When Cuisine Kathleen came to the rescue with the inspiration, we decided we could also take the time.

Actually, even though my German father visited repeatedly, I have never been there myself. It's on the list of places that I would love to visit were it not for that pesky fear of flying and the fact that I've seen The Poseidon Adventure.

My daughters, however, have no such fears. Neither do my nieces.

All four granddaughters in the family participated in a German exchange program in high school. The three older girls spent their summer in Weissenfels, a village in what was once East Germany. Miss Whimsy took a walk in the Black Forest instead to the beautiful town of Freiberg.

They were the guests of four German families. In return, we hosted their four festive frauen in our own homes in Georgia. We decided to invite them back to be the invisible guests at our Germany inspired table.

Willkommen,

Antje!

And Susi, Jenni, and Eli!

The Hummel figurines guarding each place were German gifts

for the females in the family.

The bier steins were gifts for the men.
(Fellow Baptists can just call these root bier steins.)

That extra stemware just came from Walmart.

For the purposes this post, please feel free to call it Valmart instead.

For our centerpiece, we used a gift bought especially for the Duchess.

Perhaps you noticed his feet.

It's not Paul Bunyan.

It's Hans the Nutcracker.

Since no one brought home any German dishware,

we decided to use a variety of stoneware

layered in the colors of the German flag.

And little bowls in the center of each

filled withGummibär.

(That 's gummi bears, in case it isn't obvious.

Those cute little creatures hail from Germany too.)

We picked the black iron flatware to give the table an old world effect.

Yakking all about myself...

Seriously talkative Christian mom who is blessed enough to be married to her favorite friend. We have two nearly grown daughters, one practical--and one whimsical. Together, they have filled our home with the perfect balance of practical whimsy.